The ''Gamazada'' is the popular reaction in
Navarre
Navarre (; es, Navarra ; eu, Nafarroa ), officially the Chartered Community of Navarre ( es, Comunidad Foral de Navarra, links=no ; eu, Nafarroako Foru Komunitatea, links=no ), is a foral autonomous community and province in northern Spain, ...
in 1893 and 1894 to when the
Spanish finance minister of the
Liberal Party
The Liberal Party is any of many political parties around the world. The meaning of ''liberal'' varies around the world, ranging from liberal conservatism on the right to social liberalism on the left.
__TOC__ Active liberal parties
This is a li ...
under
Prime Minister Sagasta,
Germán Gamazo
Germán Gamazo y Calvo (28 May 1840, Boecillo – 22 November 1901, Madrid
Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6 ...
, tried to suppress the ''
fueros
(), (), () or () is a Spanish legal term and concept. The word comes from Latin , an open space used as a market, tribunal and meeting place. The same Latin root is the origin of the French terms and , and the Portuguese terms and ; all ...
'' that had been established in the
Compromise Act of 1841. It caused a huge uproar among the people and institutions of Navarre, with demonstrations and petitions.
Events
The protests to protect the Basque ''fueros'' started in
Vitoria-Gasteiz
es, vitoriano, vitoriana,
, population_density_km2 = auto
, blank_name_sec1 = Official language(s)
, blank_info_sec1 = Spanish, Basque
, timezone = CET
, utc_offset = +1
, timezone_DST ...
, and continued in Biscay, these in Navarre, and finally in
San Sebastián
San Sebastian, officially known as Donostia–San Sebastián (names in both local languages: ''Donostia'' () and ''San Sebastián'' ()) is a city and Municipalities of Spain, municipality located in the Basque Country (autonomous community), B ...
, the latter ending tragically in 1893. The finance minister, Germán Gamazo, proposed to increase the annual contributions of the four provinces with ''fueros'', authorizing the Government, via Article 17 of the Budget Law, to apply the same contributions and taxes in Navarre and the other Basque provinces as in all other Spanish provinces. The Government of Navarre made a formal protest on May 16
and was seconded by city governments and the press. The delegation sent to
Madrid
Madrid ( , ) is the capital and most populous city of Spain. The city has almost 3.4 million inhabitants and a metropolitan area population of approximately 6.7 million. It is the second-largest city in the European Union (EU), and ...
to hold talks with Sagasta and Gamazo ended in failure. The liberal newspaper ''
El Eco de Navarra'' convened marches in the five ''merindades'' of Navarre on May 28. On the following Sunday, another large march was organized in
Pamplona
Pamplona (; eu, Iruña or ), historically also known as Pampeluna in English, is the capital city of the Chartered Community of Navarre, in Spain. It is also the third-largest city in the greater Basque cultural region.
Lying at near above ...
.
In this climate, a two-day episode of armed revolt also occurred, starting during the night of June 1–2, led by Sergeant José López Zabalegui, head of the detachment from the Infanta Isabel Fort in
Puente la Reina
Puente la Reina (Spanish meaning literally the "bridge of the Queen"; eu, Gares) is a town and municipality located in the autonomous community of Navarre, in northern Spain.
Puente la Reina lies between Pamplona and Estella on the Way of St. ...
, along with two other soldiers and two residents of
Obanos Obanos is a town and municipality located in the province and autonomous community of Navarre, northern Spain
, image_flag = Bandera de España.svg
, image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg
, national_motto ...
and another two from Puente la Reina. Upon shouting "''¡Vivan los fueros!''" ("Long live the ''fueros''!), they headed to
Arraiza, where they were arrested by forces of the
Civil Guard
Civil Guard refers to various policing organisations:
Current
* Civil Guard (Spain), Spanish gendarmerie
* Civil Guard (Israel), Israeli volunteer police reserve
* Civil Guard (Brazil), Municipal law enforcement corporations in Brazil
Histori ...
and the army. The sergeant and the two residents of Obanos managed to escape and reach the French border. This event was condemned by ''El Eco de Navarra'', describing it as a "demented act carried out by seven fools", and the Navarrese Government assured the Civil Governor, Andrés García Gómez de la Serna, that this was an isolated incident and that they "unanimously reject violent acts".
The Government, after the altercations in Puente la Reina, did not authorize the march for June 4, 1893. Nevertheless, more the 17,000 people gathered, of all classes and political parties. The ''Foral'' Body, accompanied by "distinguished personalities of the sister provinces" went to the Civil Government, located at the time in the Alzugaray House on Paseo de Sarasate, where they were received by Governor García Gómez de la Serna. It was the largest demonstration that had ever been organized in Navarre at the time. The Navarrese ''Diputación'' handed out pamphlets asking for "order" and a "unanimous attitude of protest against Article 17 of the Budget Bill. No inappropriate shouting or displays!" However, the economic claims were not the only ones being made, as shown by the different slogans:
* The ''Diputación'': ''Paz y Fueros (Peace and Fueros)''.
* The
Carlist
Carlism ( eu, Karlismo; ca, Carlisme; ; ) is a Traditionalism (Spain), Traditionalist and Legitimists (disambiguation), Legitimist political movement in Spain aimed at establishing an alternative branch of the House of Bourbon, Bourbon dynasty ...
Circle: ''Viva Navarra. Vivan los Fueros (Long live Navarre. Long live the Fueros)'' and ''Viva Navarra y sus Fueros (Long live Navarre and Her Fueros''.
* The ''Integrista'' Circle: ''Fueros. Pacto Ley de 1841 (Fueros. Compromise Law of 1841)''.
* Republican Circle: ''La autonomía es la vida de los pueblos (Autonomy is the life of the peoples)''.
* City of
Estella-Lizarra
Estella (Spanish) or Lizarra (Basque) is a town located in the autonomous community of Navarre, in northern Spain. It lies south west of Pamplona, close to the border with La Rioja and Álava.
The town was founded in 1090 when the place, lying by ...
: ''Vivan las provincias Vasco-Navarras (Long live the Basque-Navarrese Provinces''.
The Pamplona Orfeón sang the ''
Gernikako arbola
''Gernikako Arbola'' ("the Tree of Gernika" in Basque) is an oak tree that symbolizes traditional freedoms for the Biscayan people, and by extension for the Basque people as a whole. The Lords of Biscay (including kings of Castile and Carli ...
'' to end the protest. More than 120,000 signatures were collected against the bill, at a time when Navarre had a population of only 300,000. They were presented to
Queen Maria Christina on June 7.
The goals were not achieved, and the minister's initiatives were approved by the
Congress of Deputies
The Congress of Deputies ( es, link=no, Congreso de los Diputados, italic=unset) is the lower house of the Cortes Generales, Spain's legislative branch. The Congress meets in the Palacio de las Cortes, Madrid, Palace of the Parliament () in Ma ...
by 99 votes in favor and 8 (those of the Navarrese and the Deputy from
Morella). The Navarrese Government had to return to Madrid in 1894 to again negotiate with the central government. These negotiations were also fruitless. When that happened, as recorded by journalist Eustaquio de Echave-Sustaeta in ''El Partido Carlista y los Fueros (The Carlist Party and the Fueros)'', the Queen asked General
Martínez Campos about the possibility of intervening, and this was the general's response:
However, since Minister Gamazo had to resign because of the
uprising in Cuba and was substituted by
Amós Salvador Rodrigáñez, the law never went into effect. The latter presented a similar bill in 1895, but it never even reached the floor for debate.
The defense of the ''fueros'' strengthened the union with the other three Basque provinces with similar arrangements,
Biscay
Biscay (; eu, Bizkaia ; es, Vizcaya ) is a province of Spain and a historical territory of the Basque Country, heir of the ancient Lordship of Biscay, lying on the south shore of the eponymous bay. The capital and largest city is Bilbao.
B ...
,
Araba, and
Gipuzkoa
Gipuzkoa (, , ; es, Guipúzcoa ; french: Guipuscoa) is a province of Spain and a historical territory of the autonomous community of the Basque Country. Its capital city is Donostia-San Sebastián. Gipuzkoa shares borders with the French depa ...
, giving them a common cause and reviving the slogan
''Laurak bat'', the "union of the four", or "four-in-one".
Monument to the Fueros of Navarre
![Fueros](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/55/Fueros.JPG)
To commemorate this event, many towns and cities in Navarre named some of their most important streets and plazas "Fueros". In Pamplona, the people had the Monument to the Fueros erected as a symbol of Navarrese freedom, placing it in front of the Navarrese Government Building. It was designed by architect Manuel Martínez de Ubago and finished in 1903, but never inaugurated.
References
Bibliography
* "Historia Ilustrada de Navarra"
* Bixente Serrano Izko "Navarra. Las tramas de la historia"
* José María Jimeno Jurío. "Navarra, 1917–1919. Reivindicaciones autonómicas y reintegración foral". {{ISBN, 84-7681-402-X.
* Jesús Pablo Chueca Intxusta.- "La Gamazada desde el Nacionalismo Vasco: De la presencia al mito" Príncipe de Viana, ISSN 0032-8472, Año nº 55, Nº 201, 1994 , pags. 41–5
History of Spain